sorry if reposthttp://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gif, edit: & I see it is doh...
http://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gif

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Maybe there's a punting gene in the human makeup. How else to explain the kicking Colquitts?

Craig Colquitt punted for the great Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and has two Super Bowl rings to show for it. Jimmy is Tennessee's all-time punting leader. Britton is set to take over the punting chores for the Vols this season.

Which brings us to Dustin - son of Craig, cousin of Jimmy, brother of Britton and third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Colquitt men, for whatever reason, seem to have a knack for sending footballs flying downfield.

"With my dad and my first cousin, me and my brother, I think it's something that God kind of opened the door for us," Dustin Colquitt said Sunday at the end of a three-day rookie camp.

Conventional wisdom in the NFL says teams should not waste draft picks on punters because they can be "found." But after going through three different punters a year ago and still winding up dead last in that key stat, the Chiefs got tired of looking.

Besides, lousy punting is especially distressing for a franchise already saddled with one of the league's worst defenses.

That's exactly what the high-energy Colquitt has in mind.
"I'm going to dissect this film from the last three days and take it to my dad and really start working so I can be ready, hopefully, to take over the starting job," he said.

Dustin Colquitt's pedigree was not the only thing that impressed the Chiefs enough to spend a third-round pick on him. He punted 56 times for Tennessee last year for an average of 40.8 yards. One of his punts was blocked, but 17 others were downed inside the 20. Fewer than half his punts were returned.

"He was raised as a punter and that's what he grew up to be," said Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil. "Chances are, you draft him and he's going to be your starter."

By the end of his college career, Colquitt had punted 204 times for 10,216 yards, topping his dad's school numbers.

"We're really good friends," Colquitt said. "He is my father, but I think of him first and foremost as just a really good friend. He's never put me in pressure situations. He said, `Do what you want to do, just do it well.' "
Dustin can do one thing no one else in his family can: He can kick left-footed. And it might be to his advantage, because pro kick returners are not accustomed to seeing the ball coming at them from a lefty.

"The ball comes down at a different angle," he said. "It cuts really hard to their right. It's hard to judge. I turn the ball over a lot more consistently than a lot of punters. I think it creates a problem. It's pretty difficult to judge."

The three-day camp ended Sunday without any decision on invitee Jason White, the 2003 Heisman Trophy-winning Oklahoma quarterback who was neither drafted nor even offered a rookie free agent contract by anyone.

White spent the camp competing with Tulsa quarterback James Kilian, a seventh-round pick.

Peterson said it may be two weeks before the Chiefs decide whether to sign White and bring him to training camp.

"I would not say we've completely ruled that out," Peterson said. "But I would say we're going to take a little time to evaluate the quarterback process. It's a fluid process."

Peterson said the Chiefs would be glad to send film of White's workout to any team that asked for it.

"There's no secrets in what we've done here the last few days," he said.

White drew more attention Friday and Saturday than even linebacker Derrick Johnson, the first-round draft choice. But he left the field quietly Sunday and disappeared into the indoor facility without being approached by the media.

Kylo Ren

05-02-2005, 04:56 PM

I think we have a starting punter and KO specialist for many years to come. I've got a good feeling about this kid. Punting is in his blood. It's a family affair. That's got to be worth something.

Dunit35

05-02-2005, 10:05 PM

I hope he fixes the punting problems for KC..I dont know about you guys but I am sick of seeing shanked punts, and lousy 30-35 yard punts...